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High Speed Book Scanner
Simply turning pages of a book quickly may not seem like the best way to scan it. A Japanese
research group at Tokyo University has created new software that allows hundreds of pages to be
scanned within minutes. Scanning text is normally a boring process with each page having to be inserted
into a scanner, but the team led by Professor Masatoshi Ishikawa uses a high speed camera that takes
500 pictures a second to scan pages as they are turned by workers.
Normal scanners can only scan the information that is actually before them on the page. This high
speed book scanner uses a camera that captures pages at 1000fps as they are turned. A system built in
allows it to automatically correct any changes to the text due to the page bending as well as light differences due to shadows. "It takes a shot of the shape, then it calculates the shape and uses those calculations to
film the scanning," Ishikawa said, explaining the system used to reconstruct the original page.
The current system is able to scan an average 250-page book in a little over 60 seconds using basic
computer hardware. While it now requires extra time to process the scanned images (影像), the
researchers hope to eventually make the technology both faster and much smaller. "In the more distant
future, once it becomes possible to put all of this processing on one chip (芯片) and then put that in an
iPad or iPod, one could scan just using that chip. At that point, it becomes possible to scan something
quickly to save for later reading," Ishikawa said.
Being able to scan books with an iPhone may be further off, but Ishikawa says that a commercial
version of the large-scale computer based scanning system could be available in two or three years.
While the technology has the potential to take paper books into the digital age, it remains to be how
publishers will react to people scanning their books while just turning pages quickly.
1. According to the passage, the advantage of the new scanning software is that ______.
A. there is no need to scan every page
B. it can work much more effectively
C. no manpower is needed in operating the scanner
D. it can make the scanning process more interesting
2. According to Ishikawa, the scanner works by_____.
A. changing the shape of the images
B. reducing the size of the images
C. reconstructing the original page
D. scanning several pages at the same time
3. What is Ishikawa's attitude towards the development of the scanning system?
A. Optimistic.
B. Uncertain.
C. Disapproving.
D. Cautious.
4. What does the underlined sentence mean?
A. People will get any book they like more easily.
B. Publishers will refuse to comment on the new software.
C. Publishers will probably not welcome the new software.
D. People won't need to buy books any more with an iPhone.
